41-year-old Congressman-elect for the northeast and central Louisiana based 5th district Luke Letlow died yesterday due to COVID-related complications after a lengthy stay in the hospital battling the disease.
Condolences have poured in from across the political spectrum for Letlow, who was set to be sworn in Sunday after winning the 5th district runoff earlier this month. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise of Jefferson Parish released a statement marking the tragedy, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Letlow was taken too soon…
Letlow is survived by his wife Dr. Julia Letlow and their two children Jaqueline and Jeremiah. Medical officials at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport say Letlow had no underlying medical conditions that would have indicated he would have a higher than usual chance of suffering a fatal outcome for the disease.
Letlow spent his life in public service, entering politics as early as his college years at La. Tech where he chaired the Tech and Louisiana Federation of College Republicans. He then went to work for then-Congressman Jindal in 2005 before following him to the Governor’s mansion until 2010. After a stint in the private sector he returned to politics in 2014 to run Congressman Ralph Abraham’s election campaign, eventually becoming his Chief of Staff before winning the 5th District election in December after Abraham retired. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley…
The Ouachita Christian High class of 1998 remembers Letlow fondly. Baton Rouge radio personality Michelle Southern was one of his 52 classmates…